The city of Chicago ranks among the top economies in the world in terms of both size and diversity, with more than 4 million workers generating $500 billion annually. Nationally, Chicago is known to be unique in its diversity of industries contributing to economic growth, with no one industry accounting for more than 24% of employment. I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Chicago’s highly-educated talent pool that contributes to the diverse economy, of which 76% attain bachelor’s degrees, and 36% master’s - a rate 3x the national average.

The great diversity represented in both industry and talent leads to a distinct lack of identity for the Chicago economy. It is in this very lack of identity that this city finds its greatest strength. It creates an infrastructure of stability, as no one division of the tech sector must bear the full weight ofthe Chicago startup community's growth and success. Breaking labels and defying categorization, Chicago’s “identity crisis” is a key element in understanding the economy, and as a reflection, the tech ecosystem.